Fiber containment system

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a housing including a front opening and a rear opening. Pivotably mounted within the housing is a tray within the front opening, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent a first side of the housing. A cable path is defined along a bottom of the housing along the first side between the cable entry of the tray and the rear opening. A movable plate is positioned adjacent the first side and is movable between a first position defining an upper limit of the cable path when the tray is closed and a second position allowing access to the cable path when the tray is open. The movement of the plate between the first and second positions is actuated by the movement of the tray between the closed and open positions. The present invention further relates to a telecommunications termination panel with a housing including a front opening. Pivotably mounted within the housing is a tray within the front opening, pivoting about a vertical axis located adjacent a first side of the housing. The tray is pivotable between an open position and a closed position. The tray includes a cover which can be moved between an operational position and an access position when the tray is in the open position. With the cover in the operational position, the tray is prevented from moving from the open position to the closed position.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/491,539,filed Jul. 21, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,408,769 which is a continuationof application Ser. No. 11/080,125, filed Mar. 15, 2005, now U.S. Pat.No. 7,102,884 B2, which is a continuation of application Ser. No.10/449,868, filed May 30, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,734 B2, whichapplications are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to telecommunicationstermination panels with pivoting bulkheads.

BACKGROUND

In telecommunications infrastructure installations, equipment forswitching, cross-connecting and inter-connecting a variety of panels isused. Many of these panels are installed in telecommunications equipmentracks to permit organized, high-density installations to be achieved inlimited space available for equipment. Due to the increasing demand fortelecommunications system capacity, it is desirable to increase thedensity of connections within a given space that can be achieved.Commensurate with the demand for increased capacity from the sameinstallation footprint is a desire to improve the organization andhandling of the cables used to link the equipment within theinstallation and the outside plant and facilities cables.

One approach to increasing the density of connections within the samefootprint is to increase the number of connections supported within agiven panel. Access to these connections within panels of higherdensities is necessary for the installation, operation and maintenanceof the panels. Preferably, access to any one connection within a panelwill not cause unnecessary strain on cables extending from otheradjacent connections. Modification of the layout of the interior ofthese panels to improve connector access is desirable.

In commonly assigned and related application Ser. No. 10/277,606, filedon Oct. 21, 2002, a panel with a variety of improvements to the densityof connections within the panel and access thereto was described. Thedisclosure of this application is incorporated herein by reference.Additional improvements to the panels of this earlier application aredesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a telecommunications termination panelwith a housing including a front opening and a rear opening. Pivotablymounted within the housing is a tray within the front opening, pivotingabout a vertical axis located adjacent a first side of the housing. Thetray includes a cable entry adjacent the axis of pivot and a pluralityof connection locations and is movable between an open position and aclosed position. The rear opening is adjacent the first side of thehousing and a cable path is defined along a bottom of the housing alongthe first side between the cable entry of the tray and the rear opening.A movable plate is positioned adjacent the first side and is movablebetween a first position when the tray is closed and a second positionwhen the tray is open. The movement of the plate between the first andsecond positions is actuated by the movement of the tray between theclosed and open positions. The movable plate in the first positiondefines an upper limit to the cable path beneath the tray and themovable plate in the second position is raised above the cable path topermit placement of cables within the cable path.

The present invention further relates to a telecommunicationstermination panel with a housing including a front opening and a traypivotably mounted within the front opening. The tray pivots about avertical axis located adjacent the first side and including a cableentry adjacent the axis of pivot and a plurality of connectionlocations. The tray is movable between an open position and a closedposition. The tray includes perimeter and a wall extending upwardadjacent the perimeter to enclose the plurality of connector locations.A first portion of the wall closes the front opening of the housing whenthe tray is in the closed position, and a cover is hingedly mounted to asecond portion of the wall opposite the first portion. The cover ismovable between an access position and an operational position when thetray is in the open position. The operational position of the coverallows the tray to move from the open position to the closed positionand also allows a user access to the connection locations and to cablesextending to or away from the connection locations. When the cover is inthe access position, the tray is prevented from moving from the open tothe closed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the presentinvention and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. A brief description of the drawings is asfollows:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a telecommunications equipment rack withtwo termination panels according to the present invention mounted.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of atermination panel according to the present invention with the topremoved for clarity.

FIG. 3 is a second front perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a second rear perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the termination panel of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 2,with the tray swung to an open position allowing access to theconnections.

FIG. 8 is a second front perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a second rear perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a top view of the termination panel of FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a partially exploded view of the termination panel of FIG. 7.

FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of atermination panel according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a second front perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 13.

FIG. 16 is a second rear perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 13.

FIG. 17 is a top view of the termination panel of FIG. 13.

FIG. 18 is a front perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 13,with the tray swung to an open position allowing access to theconnections and one of the sliding connector modules extended upward toprovide access to the connections of the modules.

FIG. 19 is a second front perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 18with the connector module retracted.

FIG. 21 is a second rear perspective view of the termination panel ofFIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a top view of the termination panel of FIG. 20.

FIG. 23 is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of atermination panel according to the present invention, with the tray inthe closed position.

FIG. 24 is a front perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the tray in the open position.

FIG. 25 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 24,with the modules, designation strips, and warning labels removed forclarity.

FIG. 26 is a front perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 24,with the cover in an access position and one of the modules extendedupward.

FIG. 27 is a front view of the termination panel of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is a top view of the termination panel of FIG. 26.

FIG. 29 is a front perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 24,with one of the modules extended upward and the cover in an intermediateposition between the access position and the operational position.

FIG. 30 is a front view of the termination panel of FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is a top view of the termination panel of FIG. 29.

FIG. 32 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the top removed for clarity.

FIG. 33 is a rear view of the termination panel of FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is a side cross-sectional view of the termination panel of FIG.33 taken along the middle of the cable path through the panel.

FIG. 35 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the tray moved approximately 15 degrees from the closed positiontoward the open position.

FIG. 36 is a rear view of the termination panel of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a side cross-sectional view of the termination panel of FIG.35 taken along the middle of the cable path through the panel.

FIG. 38 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the tray moved approximately 30 degrees from the closed positiontoward the open position.

FIG. 39 is a rear view of the termination panel of FIG. 38.

FIG. 40 is a side cross-sectional view of the termination panel of FIG.38 taken along the middle of the cable path through the panel.

FIG. 41 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the tray moved approximately 45 degrees from the closed positiontoward the open position.

FIG. 42 is a rear view of the termination panel of FIG. 41.

FIG. 43 is a side cross-sectional view of the termination panel of FIG.41 taken along the middle of the cable path through the panel.

FIG. 44 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the tray moved approximately 60 degrees from the closed positiontoward the open position.

FIG. 45 is a rear view of the termination panel of FIG. 44.

FIG. 46 is a side cross-sectional view of the termination panel of FIG.44 taken along the middle of the cable path through the panel.

FIG. 47 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the tray moved approximately 75 degrees from the closed positiontoward the open position.

FIG. 48 is a rear view of the termination panel of FIG. 47.

FIG. 49 is a side cross-sectional view of the termination panel of FIG.47 taken along the middle of the cable path through the panel.

FIG. 50 is a rear perspective view of the termination panel of FIG. 23,with the tray in the open position.

FIG. 51 is a rear view of the termination panel of FIG. 50.

FIG. 52 is a side cross-sectional view of the termination panel of FIG.50 taken along the middle of the cable path through the panel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary aspects of thepresent invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughoutthe drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Referring now to the FIGS., telecommunications connections panels 10provide a plurality of connection locations for linkingtelecommunications cables within a single panel. These panels 10 mayelectrically connect copper cables or optically connect optical fibercables at these connection locations. Such a panel 10 is shown in FIG.1, mounted to a telecommunications equipment rack 12 adjacent a secondpanel 10. Additional panels 10 or other telecommunications equipment mayalso be mounted to rack 12. Rack 12 is shown as a nineteen inch widerack. It is anticipated that panel 10 could also be adapted for use witha twenty-three inch wide rack or with other widths of racks within thescope of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a plurality of optical fiber cables 14 are eachterminated by a connector 15. These connectors 15 are connected to afirst side or rear of a plurality of connection locations or adapters16. A plurality of optical fiber patch cords, such as cables 18 are eachterminated with a connector 19. These connectors 19 are connected to asecond side or front of adapters 16. Adapters 16 align and opticallylink the optical fiber within a cable 14 with the optical fiber within acable 18. As seen in FIG. 2, cables 18 extend away from adapters 16,passing through a plurality of vertically oriented fingers 20 whichprovide bend radius protection as cables 18 are directed toward andthrough an opening 22 in a side 24 of panel 10. After passing throughopening 22, cables 18 may be directed across a ramp 26 (also providingbend radius protection) into an adjacently mounted cableway and extendedto other telecommunications equipment.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, panel 10 includes a housing made up ofside 24, opposing side 28, and a bottom 30. A top 31 (shown in FIG. 1and removed from the other drawings for clarity) cooperates with sides24 and 28 and bottom 30 to define a front opening 32 and a rear opening34. Mounted within front opening 32 is a pivoting tray 36 with a frontwall 38 substantially closing off front opening 32 with tray 36positioned as shown in FIGS. 2 through 6. Tray 36 pivots about an axisdefined by a hinge 42 adjacent side 24. Front wall 38 includes areleasably latch 40 opposite hinge 42 which engages tab 41 in side 28 toreleasably hold tray 36 in a closed position within front opening 32.Latch 40 as shown is a rotating finger latch. It is anticipated thatlatch 40 could be a lock requiring a key to release, providingadditional security to the interior of panel 10.

Sides 24 and 28 include flanges 44 for mounting top 31 to panel 10.Bottom 30 includes a rear mounting flange 46 so that a rear wall (notshown) can be mounted to substantially close off rear opening 34. Sides24 and 28 also include mounting brackets 48 along an outer side to aidin mounting panel 10 to rack 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, adapters 16 are mounted in a series ofparallel, vertically oriented modules 17. As shown in the FIGS., sixadapters are mounted in each module 17 and twelve modules 17 are mountedon tray 36. Thus configured, panel 10 is capable of supporting up toseventy-two optical connections between optical fiber cables 14 andpatch cords 18. Optical fiber cables 14 enter panel 10 through rearopening 34 within a multi-strand cable such as an inter-facility cable50. Cable 50 is held to panel 10 by a cable clamp 52 adjacent rearopening 34 and enters panel 10 through a cable access port 54. If a rearwall were mounted to panel 10 to close off rear opening 34, cable accessport 54 should remain unobstructed to permit entry of cable 50. Cable 50includes at least some of optical fibers 14 bundled together in a commoncasing.

Cable access port 54 includes a pair of opposing bend radius protectioncurves 56 to ensure that cable 50 (or any other optical fiber cablesextending into panel 10 through port 54) are not bend through too tightof a curve as the cables enter port 54. Each curve 56 includes a finger58 positioned with respect to each other to permit cable 50 to be laidbetween curves 56 and prevent cable 50 from extending above curves 56.Tray 36 includes a raised floor 60 which is positioned above curves 56,fingers 58 and cable 50. Raised floor 60 cooperates with side 24 andbottom 30 to define a cable path 62. Cable path 62 permits cable 50 toextend through cable access port 54 and into panel 10 along bottom 30and side 24 in the direction of hinge 42.

Referring now to FIG. 6, cable 50 extends through cable path 62 alongside 24 to enter tray 36 adjacent hinge 42, extending up out of cablepath 62 and entering tray 36 above raised floor 60. Cable 50 extendsbetween an inner wall 64 and an outer wall 66. Located between walls 64and 66 is a ramp 65 which lifts cable 50 from beneath raised floor 60into tray 36 above raised floor 60. Walls 64 and 66 cooperate to carrycable 50 through a semicircular are without violating bend radius rules.As cable 50 enters tray 36, it is held by an anchor 68. Cable 50 is thenbroken down into individual fiber cables 14. To ensure that additionalslack is available to repair damage to cables 14 without having toadjust the position of cable 50, cables 14 are wrapped around a firstdrum 70 before extending about a second drum 72 into an area 74 behindadapters 16 within modules 17. From area 74, connectors 15 of cables 14are connected to adapters 16 which will permit cables 14 to be opticallyconnected to cables 18. Outer wall 66 also provides bend radiusprotection to cables 18 extending from fingers 20 through opening 22 inside 24 and across ramp 26.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 through 9, a dashed line on bottom 30 indicatesthe location of cable path 62 along side 24. In this FIG., tray 36 isswung to an open position about hinge 42 allowing entry into panel 10through front opening 32. Along an end of tray 36 opposite front wall38, both corners have been relieved or angled. A first angled corner 78allows tray 36 to pivot about hinge 42 without being impeded by side 28.A second angled corner 80 allows greater access into panel 10 throughfront opening 32 between tray 36 and side 28 when tray 36 is in the openposition.

Tray 36 includes a plurality of bulkheads 82 along the sides and rear oftray 36, and a central bulkhead 76 separating area 74 from the areaabove raised floor 60. Bulkheads 82 and 76 cooperate to organize opticalfibers 14 and keep optical fibers 14 within tray 36 as tray 36 is swungfrom the open position shown in FIGS. 7 through 11 to the closedposition shown in FIGS. 1 through 6. This will help prevent opticalfibers 14 from being pinched or otherwise damaged. A plurality ofconnectors 84 are located between the various bulkheads 82 to physicallyconnect adjacent bulkheads 82 and reinforce the structure of tray 36.Also reinforcing bulkheads 82 and the overall structure of tray 36 are apair of triangular gussets 86 connecting a bulkhead 82 to front wall 38adjacent latch 40.

Referring now to FIG. 10, cable 50 is shown entering tray 36 along ramp65 between walls 64 and 66 through an opening 88 adjacent hinge 42.Between opening 88 and anchor 68, a ramp elevates cable 50 from thelevel of bottom 30 to the level of raised floor 60. Positioning opening88 as close as possible to hinge 42 minimizes the amount of slackrequired in cable 50 within cable path 62 to permit tray 36 to swingbetween the open and closed positions. The further from hinge 42 thatopening 88 is located, the more slack in cable 50 is required to permittray 36 to move unhindered.

Similarly, cables 18 from the front of adapters 16 extend around fingers20 and forward of outer wall 66 to exit through opening 22 which is alsopositioned as close as possible to hinge 42. This relative locationhelps reduce the amount of slack required in cables 18 to permitunhindered movement of tray 36.

When working with optical fibers within a telecommunications panel, itis desirable that direct viewing down the axis of any optical fibers beavoiding. Exposure to the high intensity laser light transmitted throughoptical fibers can cause significant harm to the vision of a workersubjected to accidental exposure. Orientation of the fiber within apanel or other device so that the axis of the fibers and any adapters isdirected away from where a worker would be standing is desirable.Referring now to FIGS. 11 and 18, cables 14, adapters 16 and cables 18are oriented parallel to the front of panel 10, as indicated by dashedline 120 in FIG. 18, when tray 36 is the open position. A workeraccessing adapters 16 or the cables 14 and 18 connected to adapters 16would most likely be standing directly in front of panel 10 when openingtray 36 and accessing the contents of panel 10. In this arrangement,with tray 36 in the open position, the risk of accidental exposure isreduced.

FIG. 12 shows additional detail regarding items mounted to tray 36,including the arrangement of adapters 16 within modules 17. Commonlyowned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,444, 5,717,810 and 5,758,003, and U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/991,271, the disclosures of which areincorporated herein by reference, further describe and show thestructure and features of modules 17. Briefly, each module 17 includeslocations for mounting a plurality of adapters 16. As shown also in FIG.18, discussed in more detail below, each module 17 is slidably mountedbetween a pair of walls 90 and may be extended generally upward abovetray 36, in the direction of dashed line 122 in FIG. 18. Thuspositioned, access to adapters 16 mounted to module 17 and any opticalfiber cables attached to adapters 16 is improved. Walls 90 areconfigured to receive a sliding module 17 on each side, so that a totalof this walls 90 are required to support the twelve modules 17.

As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/991,271, and asshown in FIG. 18, modules 17 extend at an angle toward front 38.Adapters 16 are mounted at a corresponding angle to modules 17 so thatthe axis of insertion of fiber optic cables to the front and rear ofeach adapter 16 is substantially parallel to floor 94 of tray 36.Alternatively, walls 90 and modules 17 could be configured so thatmodules 17 slide vertically, with adapters 16 mounted horizontally tomodules 17.

Tray 36 includes a floor 94 above which is a second raised floor 96within area 74 adjacent the rear of adapters 16. As described above,raised floor 60 is offset above bottom 30 of panel 10 and cable path 62is defined between raised floor 60 and bottom 30 adjacent side 24. Drums70 and 72 are mounted to raised floor 96, a portion of which extendsover raised floor 60. Raised floor 96 includes a ramp 100 extending downto the full depth of floor 94 and leading from area 74 to the rear ofadapters 16. Forward of adapters 16 is a transition piece 98, to whichare mounted the fingers 20. Cables 18 from the front of adapters 16extend through and around fingers 20, forward of outer wall 66 andthrough opening 22 in side 24.

FIGS. 13 through 22 illustrate a second embodiment 110 of atelecommunications connection panel in accord with the presentinvention. This embodiment is constructed and configured substantiallythe same as panel 10. The principal difference is that panel 110 haspatch cords or cables 118 extending through cable access port 54 insteadof cable 50. The routing of cables 118 entering cable access port 54follows cable path 62 along bottom 30 beneath raised floor 60 to opening88 adjacent hinge 42. After being directed between walls 64 and 66,cables 118 extend about drum 72 into area 74 adjacent the rear ofadapters 16. It is not necessary to pass cables 118 through anchor 68 ascables 118 emerge above raised floor 60. It is also not necessary topass cables 118 about drum 70 to store slack. If a connector 19 of oneof the cables 118 is damaged, the particular cable 118 can be removedand replaced entirely. Alternatively, since cables 118 are not clampedin a bundle by clamp 52, additional length can be pulled into panel 110for a single cable 118 to be repaired or reterminated without undulydisturbing the other cables 118.

Panel 10 and panel 110 may be configured so that either will accept amulti-strand optical fiber cable such as cable 50 or single strandoptical fiber cables such as cables 118 through cable access port 54.The presence of the features such as anchor 68 and first drum 70 forcables 50 do not impair the ability of panel 10 to accept and directcables 118 to the rear of adapters 16.

Referring now to FIG. 15, mounted to bulkhead 82 along second angledcorner 80 of tray 36 is a temporary cable clamp 112. Clamp 112 isdirectly above cable access port 54 and aids in the loading of cablesinto tray 36 of panel 110. To load a new cable 118 (or a cable 50) intotray 36 without clamp 112, a worker would need to swing tray 36 to theopen position, allowing access through front opening 32 adjacent side28, as shown in FIG. 21. The worker would then have to reach throughopening 32 across the entire diagonal distance of panel 110 to reach thenew cable 118 at cable access port 54 adjacent side 24. Panel 110 may beapproximately nineteen to twenty-three inches wide between sides andsimilarly dimensioned front to rear. Reaching across this diagonaldistance when panel 110 is mounted within rack 12 may be difficult forsome workers, particularly if panel 110 is mounted near the top orbottom of rack 12.

Clamp 112 permits loading of cables 118 into panel 110 without the needto extend an arm through the interior of panel 110. When tray 36 is inthe closed position, as shown in FIG. 15, clamp 112 is accessiblethrough cable access port 54. An end of a new cable 118 is lead to cableaccess port 54 and attached to clamp 112. Tray 36 is then swung to theopen position, as shown in FIG. 21. The end of new cable 118 is pulledthrough panel 110 and out opening 32. As indicated by the dashed line114 in FIG. 21, new cable 118 extends across the diagonal of bottom 30.New cable 118 can then be detached from clamp 112 and routed throughopening 88 into tray 36 along the other cables 118.

It is anticipated that panels 10 and 110 may modified to provideconnection locations for high speed copper cables as well as opticalfiber cables. As copper cables are used to transmit data at higherspeed, bend radius rules similar to those for optical fiber cables needto be enforced within the network. As with optical fiber, it isdesirable to have higher densities of connections within copper panelsas well.

Referring now to FIG. 23, a third alternative embodiment of atelecommunications termination panel 210 is illustrated. Panel 210includes a top 131 with an extension 133 which overlays an extendedportion 129 of side 128. Side 128 also includes a mounting portion 148forming a mounting flange for mounting panel 210 to rack 12. A frontwall 138 includes a recessed portion 139 adjacent latch 40 and extendedportion 129. Front wall 138 closes off opening 32 when a tray 136 ofpanel 210 is in the closed position as shown in FIG. 23.

Referring now to FIG. 24, tray 136 is shown pivoted to the openposition. A cover 212 is hingedly mounted to tray 136 by a hinge 214along a rear bulkhead 82. As shown in FIG. 24, cover 212 is in anoperational position, allowing tray 136 to be moved between the open andclosed positions. Also mounted along a bulkhead 82 is a pair of cardholders 216 for holding information cards 218. Information cards 218 maybe instruction cards, warning labels, routing information cards ordesignation strips related to the configuration and use of panel 210.Card holders 216 are positioned so that cards 218 are housed withinpanel 10 when tray 136 is in the closed position but are easilyaccessible to a user when tray 136 is in the open position. Cover 212also includes an opening 224 through which modules 17 are visible.Opening 224 permits any identification or other information printed orattached to modules 17 to be visible when cover 212 is in theoperational position. Designation labels 220 may be positioned adjacentopening 224 to indicate the source and destination of cables attached toadapters 16. Cover 212 may also include one or more routing diagrams 222to illustrate to the user the recommended path of cables within panel210.

Referring now to FIG. 25, rear wall 130 substantially closes off therear of panel 210 except for rear opening 54. As shown, rear wall 130 isa downward extension of top 131. It is anticipated that a rear wallclosing off the rear of the housing except for the rear opening could bean upward-extending portion of bottom 30 (as shown in the FIGS. below)or a separate piece fastened to panel 210.

Referring now to FIGS. 26 to 28, panel 210 is illustrated with tray 136in the open position and cover 212 in a position permitting access toadapter 16, modules 17 and any cables which might lead to or away fromadapters 16. If tray 136 were closed with module 17 so extended, frontedge 226 of top 131 might damage module 17, one or more of the adapters16 mounted to module 17 or any cables leading to or from these adapters16. To prevent such a closure and the potential resulting damage, cover212 is configured to prevent movement of tray 136 to the closed positionwhen cover 212 is not in the operational position (as shown in FIGS. 24and 25). As shown in FIGS. 26 to 28, cover 212 is in the access positionand any attempt to close tray 136 will result in cover 212 hitting afront edge 228 of bottom 30. If cover 212 is in an intermediate positionbetween the operational and access positions (as shown below in FIGS. 29to 31), cover 212 will hit front edge 226 of top 131, preventing closureof tray 136. Also, when cover 212 is in the operational position, cover21 will ensure that no cables within tray 136 extend above bulkheads 82.Any cables extending above bulkheads 82 may be pinched or otherwisedamaged by front edge 226 of top 131.

Referring now to FIGS. 29 to 31, cover 212 is shown in an intermediateposition between the access and operational positions. These FIGS.illustrate how cover 212 interacts with a module 17 which was extendedupward and not retracted prior to cover 212 being moved from the accessposition of FIGS. 26 to 28 to the operational position of FIGS. 24 and25. The upper end of the extended module 17 strikes cover 212 adjacentan edge 230 of opening 224. Opening 224 is positioned and configured toprevent cover 212 from being closed with a module 17 extended upwardwhile still allowing visibility of modules 17 when cover 212 is in theoperational position. When a module 17 is extended and interacts withcover 212 as shown in FIGS. 29 to 31, cover cannot be moved to theoperational position and tray 136 cannot be closed. This prevent damageto the extended module 17 as described above.

Opening 224 is also configured and positioned so as to prevent anycables connected to the rear of the upper most adapters 16 of theextended module 17 from being pinched or otherwise damaged when cover212 interacts with the extended module 17. In the absence of opening 224configured and positioned as shown, such a cable would be struck bycover 212 before cover 212 strikes the extended module 17. The pressureof cover 212 could cause the cable to kink or bend tighter than thedesired bend radius and possibly degrade the ability of the cable totransmit optical signals.

Referring now to FIGS. 32 to 34, panel 210 is shown with cover 131removed to permit viewing of the interior of panel 210 as tray 136 ismoved from the closed position (shown in FIGS. 32 to 34) and the openposition (shown in the FIGS. below). A back wall 132 extends upward fromthe rear of bottom 30 and cooperates with rear wall 130 extendingdownward from top 131 (shown in the FIGS. above) to close off the backof panel 210. Along side 24 adjacent cable path 62 are an actuator 232which extends between tray 136 and one of two swinging links 234. Links234 and actuator 232 are positioned between side 24 and the bulkhead 82immediately adjacent side 24. Each link 234 includes an upper endpivotably connected to side 24 by a fastener 236. Each link 234 includesa bottom end pivotably connected to a movable plate 238 which ispositioned along and defines the top edge of cable path 62 beneath tray136. When tray 136 is in the closed position as shown in FIGS. 32 to 34,cables are trapped between bottom 30 and the plate. In this manner,plate 238 prevents any cables within cable path 62 from contacting orpossibly interfering with the movement of tray 136.

Shown in FIG. 34 is an extendable rotatable support 240 pivotablyattached to bottom 30 adjacent cable path 62 and tray 136 underneathraised floor 60. As tray 136 is moved from the close position to theopen position, support 240 rotates and extends out of front opening 32to provide additional support to tray 136. Without support 240, onlyhinge 42 is supporting tray 136 and tray 136 may sag or otherwise bindhinge 42 (shown in FIG. 3, above) due to the weight of tray 136 and thecomponents installed in tray 136. Support 240 provides additionalsupport to tray 136 in the open position and aids in the movement oftray 136.

Referring now to FIGS. 35 to 37, tray 136 has been moved approximately15 degrees from the closed position toward the open position. Actuator232 is attached to tray 136 at an attachment point 244 permittingthree-dimensional movement of actuator 232 relative to tray 136. Asshown in FIG. 36, actuator 232 has been displaced from side 24 but hasnot significantly displaced link 234 to which is it attached. Actuator232 is pivotably attached to the forwardmost link 234 at a attachmentpoint 242 which also permit some articulation of link 232 are tray 136is moved. Plate 238 extends essentially parallel to bottom 30 andincludes a pair of tabs 246 extending upward adjacent side 24. Links 234are pivotably attached to tabs 246 by fasteners 248.

Referring now to FIGS. 38 to 40, tray 136 has been moved approximately30 degrees from the closed position toward the open position. As shownin FIG. 40, actuator 232 has been further displaced from side 24 and hasbegun to pull link 234 to which it is attached toward the front of panel210. As this link moves forward, it will begin to swing upward and drawplate 238 up from cable path 62. Note that this upward movement is notyet visible in FIGS. 38 to 40, although some forward displacement oflinks 234 has taken place.

Referring now to FIGS. 41 to 43, tray 136 has been moved approximatelyhalfway between the open and closed positions. As shown in FIGS. 42 and43, plate 238 has begun to be vertically displaced away from bottom 30above cable path 62 as actuator 232 is further displaced from side 24and pulled forward by the movement of tray 136. Actuator 232 in turnpulls on forwardmost link 234 at attachment point 244 and pulls plate238 and rearmost link 234 forward. This causes links 234 to pivot aboutfasteners 236 which in turn raises plate 238.

Referring now to FIGS. 44 to 46, tray 136 has now been moved toapproximately 60 degrees from the closed position to the open position.Actuator 232 has further displaced links 234 forward. Links 234 havepivoted about fasteners 236 and drawn plate 238 further above cable path62. Note that for the first time in the sequence illustrated by theFIGS. above, plate 238 has been displaced above the level of raisedfloor 60. As plate 238 moves higher, cables within cable path 62 are nolonger held down to the level defined by raised floor portion 60 of tray136. As plate 238 extends beneath raised floor 62 of tray 136, thetiming of plate 238 being displaced away from bottom 30 by actuator 232and links 234 is preferably set so that plate 238 does not interferewith or impact tray 136. While such interference may not be significantissue when moving tray 136 as shown from the closed position to the openposition, such interference may prevent tray 136 from being moved fromthe open position to the closed position.

Referring now to FIGS. 47 to 49, tray 136 has now been moved toapproximately 15 degrees from the open position. As raised floor portion60 no longer overlays any portion of plate 238, further displacement ofplate 238 from bottom 30 is desirable to open up access to cable path62.

Referring now to FIGS. 50 to 52, tray 136 is now in the open position,rotated approximately 90 degrees from the closed position about hinge42. Support 240 has rotated from a position approximately parallel tocable path 62 through more than 90 degrees about a pivot point 250 inbottom 30 and now extends underneath-raised floor 60 out of frontopening 32. Plate 238 is now at a point of maximum displacement frombottom 30 to provide unobstructed access to cable path 62. In the openposition, cable path 62 is at it most accessible state to aid therouting of cables through rear opening 54 into tray 136. In the closedposition, as illustrated in FIGS. 32 to 34, above, plate 238 defines theupper limit of cable path 62 beneath raised floor 60 of tray 136. Asplate 238 moves from the open position to the closed position, plate 238presses down any cables within cable path 62 to ensure that tray 136does not pinch any cables or trap any cables against side 24. Suchpinching or trapping may result in temporary or permanent obstruction ofthe optical path within the cable and degrade to cable's ability totransmit optical signals.

Alternative configurations of links 234 are anticipated and may includean attachment point 244 for actuator 232 positioned above fastener 236pivotably connecting link 234 to side 24. Relative placement of thepivotable attachment of links 234 to side 24 and plate 238 with regardto the position of attachment point 244 may be varied to alter theextent of vertical and horizontal displacement of plate 238 and thetiming of the displacement relative to the movement of tray 136.

The various embodiment described above refer to optical fiber cables. Itis understood that a telecommunications termination panel according tothe present invention may be configured for copper cables or othersimilar cables.

The above specification, examples and data provide a completedescription of the manufacture and use of the invention. Since manyembodiments of the invention can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claimshereinafter appended.

1. A telecommunications termination panel comprising: a housingincluding a top, a bottom, a first side and a second opposing sidedefining a front opening; a tray pivotably attached to the housing withan extendable and rotatable support that is located between the tray andthe bottom of the housing, the tray pivotable through the front openingof the housing between an open position and a closed position, thesupport attaching the tray to the housing including a portion that isconfigured to slide to move the support between a collapsed position andan extended position, wherein the support extends out of the frontopening of the housing when the support rotates with respect to thehousing to pivot the tray from the closed position to the open position,the tray pivotable about a vertical axis located adjacent the first sideof the housing, wherein the tray includes a cable entry adjacent theaxis of pivot; the tray including a plurality of connection locations,the tray including a perimeter, a wall extending upward adjacent theperimeter to enclose the plurality of connector locations, a firstportion of the wall closing the front opening when the tray is in theclosed position, and a cover hingedly mounted to a second portion of thewall opposite the first portion; the cover movable between an accessposition and an operational position when the tray is in the openposition, only the operational position of the cover allowing the trayto move from the open position to the closed position, the accessposition allowing access to the connection locations and to cablesextending to or away from the connection locations, and the cover in theaccess position preventing the tray from moving from the open to theclosed position.
 2. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 1,wherein the connection locations include adapters to connect opticalfiber cables, the adapters mounted in one of a plurality of modulesmounted to the tray with each module moveably mounted along a line oftravel above the tray, each one of the modules including a plurality ofadapters for holding a fiber optic connector, each adapter havingopposite ends for coupling to a fiber optic connector, each one of theadapters movable with one of the modules along the line of travel, andfurther wherein the cover may not be moved to the operational positionwhen any module is extending upward along the line of travel.
 3. Thetelecommunications termination panel of claim 2, wherein the pluralityof adapters are oriented to connect a first optical fiber extending tothe rear of each adapter to a second optical fiber extending to thefront of each adapter when the tray is in the closed position.
 4. Thetelecommunications termination panel of claim 3, wherein the trayfurther includes a first series of cable management structures forrouting optical fiber cables to the rear of the adapters with bendradius protection and the cover prevents access to the first series ofcable management structures in the operational position.
 5. Thetelecommunications termination panel of claim 3, wherein the trayfurther includes a second series of cable management structures forrouting optical fiber cables from the front of the adapters away fromthe modules toward the axis of pivot with bend radius protection and thecover prevents access to the second series of cable managementstructures in the operational position.
 6. The telecommunicationstermination panel of claim 2, wherein the cover includes an openingdirectly above the modules holding the adapters permitting visibility ofthe modules and adapters when the cover is in the operational positionand the tray is in the open position.
 7. The telecommunicationstermination panel of claim 6, wherein the cover includes areas forreceiving indicia relating to the optical fiber cables connected to theadapters.
 8. The telecommunications termination panel of claim 6,wherein the opening in the cover is positioned to avoid contact withoptical fiber cables extending from the adapters on any module extendedalong the line of travel when the cover is moved from the accessposition toward the operational position while allowing the cover tocontact the module and prevent the movement of the cover to theoperational position.
 9. The telecommunications termination panel ofclaim 1, wherein the wall includes a portion adjacent the second sidewhen the tray is in the closed position, the portion of the wallincludes a mount to receive information cards such that the informationcards are within the housing when the tray is in the closed position andare accessible to a user when the tray is in the open position.
 10. Thetelecommunications termination panel of claim 9, wherein the informationcards may include one of instruction cards, warning labels, routinginformation cards and designation strips related to thetelecommunications cables attached to the connection locations.
 11. Thetelecommunications termination panel of claim 1, wherein the extendableand rotatable support is attached to the bottom of the housing adjacenta first end of the support and attached to the tray adjacent a secondend of the support.
 12. The telecommunications termination panel ofclaim 1, wherein the tray is pivotally attached to the housing via ahinge located adjacent the first side of the housing.